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Computer viruses are becoming more widespread all the time. It's
seems that with each passing day we hear about another e-mail worm that is reeking
havoc on the Internet. What is the best way to protect your
computer? Well, although you will probably never be %100 secure, there are
lots of measures you can take to prevent being infected by a virus:
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First and most importantly, install an anti-virus program on
your computer. There are many different anti-virus packages available
including the following:
While having an anti-virus program installed on your
computer will help protect you against getting infected, it is crucial to
keep them up to date so that they will protect you against the latest
viruses that appear. You should configure the program to do daily
updates and also daily or weekly scans of your computer. Also make
sure the software is setup to scan any e-mail messages you send and receive.
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Don't read e-mail from people you don't know!!!
Everybody who uses e-mail regularly knows that SPAM or Junk Mail is a real
problem. Not only are they a nuisance, but they can also spread
viruses. If you get a suspicious e-mail message, don't bother reading
it, simply delete it.
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Be careful of the messages you get from people you do
know! Just because you get a message from a friend that says
"Check this out" or "Hi" doesn't mean that they haven't
sent you a virus. Most viruses are spread through e-mail and are
called e-mail worms. If a friend of yours has an infected computer,
they may not even be aware of it and the virus spreads itself automatically
to everybody on that person mailing list without them even knowing it.
Any suspicious e-mail you receive from a friend should also be deleted.
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Be wary of e-mail messages with attachments, especially
those with the following extensions (they may be a virus):
Basics:
| vbs; |
shs; |
js; |
com; |
bat; |
cmd; |
pif; |
scr; |
chm; |
VB; |
eml; |
Full List Extensions:
| ASX; |
ADE; |
ADP; |
BAS; |
BAT; |
BIN; |
CHM; |
CMD; |
COM; |
| CPL; |
CRT; |
DLL; |
EML; |
EXE; |
HIV; |
HLP; |
HTA; |
INF; |
| INS; |
ISP; |
JS; |
JSE; |
JTD; |
MSC; |
MSI; |
MSP; |
MST; |
| OCX; |
OFT; |
OVL; |
PCD; |
PIF; |
PL; |
PLX; |
SCR; |
SCT; |
| SH; |
SHB; |
SHS; |
SYS; |
VB; |
VBE; |
VBS; |
VSS; |
VST; |
| VXD; |
WSC; |
WSF; |
WSH; |
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Keep your Operating System up to date. If you are
using a Windows OS (Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP) or a Macintosh OS (Mac
OS8/9/10/X) it is important to keep your system files current.
Hackers often find flaws in operating system software and will try and exploit
them in order to spread viruses or to take control of your computer.
Microsoft constantly posts fixes and updates for security issues that have
been discovered in their software. You can update your
computer by going to the following website:
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What do I do if I do get infected? Well, there are
several options:
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First, try updating your anti-virus software and then
performing a complete system scan. You may be able to clean off the
virus by doing this.
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If your anti-virus software will not clean off the
virus, or if you do not have any anti-virus software, then you can try
using a Virus Removal Tool. Symantec and Network Associates both
provide tools to remove some of the more widespread and dangerous
viruses:
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Stinger
Virus Removal Tool
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Symantec
Virus Removal Tools
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